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Thursday, 29 November 2012

I have some special pieces I've been longing to show you in real life, but since that hasn't happened yet I decided to do a photo shoot last night. How much fun was that? - especially with these garments...

First up is a maxi skirt which I received from gorgeous Curtise of The Secondhand Years who got it from Terri from Rags Against the Machine in a circuitous transcontinental effort. (In this same package of love I also received a fabulous velvet maxi dress with a lacy sewn-in blouse featuring leg-of-mutton sleeves, here. Can you believe its amazingness?) Here is the skirt, first in closeup and then how I styled it.

I wore a variation of this outfit a couple of weeks ago but was unable to photograph it that day even though I felt bee-yoo-ti-ful in it. The jacket is heavy like upholstery fabric - it can almost stand up on its own - and the skirt doesn't have any vents in the bottom which meant I had to take feminine steps thereby enhancing my wearing pleasure. My approach to this outfit was, if I'm going to wear one piece of jacquard, why not wear all my pieces at once? I call this "Runaway Chesterfield." (I always get confused between brocade and jacquard - I hope my use here is correct...)

The next piece I received in the same package. It is an absolutely delicious lurex capelet, special from Curtise. Oooh, she knows my heart well.

I haven't worn this ensemble out yet because the shoes, worn only once, already need sole reinforcement, hence the "crappy" descriptor, but this outfit is DEFINITELY an incentive to get that done. The capelet is very cool because it has little sleeve openings sewn into it. I would need to wear a wrap or shawl of some kind over it for outdoors, thus adding to the drama and glamour of the sparkles.

And the finale, ta-dah, this is a gorgeous maxi dress with a tulip motif and beret which I received from awesome Ariane of Style Sud-Est.

﻿Isn't this dress divine? At first I wasn't sure how to style it - the bodice is attached to the skirt in a zig-zag line you can barely make out in the first photo - but when I added the belt everything fell magically into place. This dress is so filmy and dreamy; it's the most fun to twirl in. You should hear the swishy sound. And the green beret, I have to thank Ariane for reintroducing me to this beautiful colour! I love it now with my white hair. The denim jacket turns this into daywear but the delicate hemline requires dry sidewalks. Thank you, Ariane!

That's all. Sorry for such a long post. I have woken up every day wondering if this is THEE day for any of these outfits and I'm glad I have finally photographed them to share with you. So hugs to Curtise and Terri and Ariane for making possible this post and my happiness wearing these amazing pieces.

When you're stumped by how to style an outfit where does you mind go first: scissors? scarves? belts? donation bin? I was tempted to shorten the dress and I'm so GLAD I resisted!!

Sunday, 25 November 2012

He was a wise-cracking thug with a mug that only a mother or a streetwise moll dressed as a man, such as Yours Truly, could fall for. He was good for laughs, always had a loaded gun in his pocket - with the safety off. Too bad I hadda off him, the sap. Don't he know commitment is a three-syllable word?

Me and the dames is going for a little joyride down to the joint to hook up with Patti. Hear she's got some action going on - so's if you're Not Dead Yet (Style) git over there, Visible Monday. But bring backup. If ya's ain't there, tell Marty I tips my hat and says hello. Then tell him to get his sorry ass over here to fix these slanty floors if he knows what's good for 'im.

Details of the outfit

fur felt hat, thrifted

wool/cashmere coat, thrifted

jeans, thrifted

stretch wedge booties, thrifted

men's tie, thrifted

tuxedo shirt, thrifted

leather belt, thrifted

I wore jeans and a belt, a tie, this new old fedora, and this coat twice this past week - I was so in love with the new hat! Plus, it was raining and miserable, perfect for film noir. If I could have walked down the sidewalk in grainy black and white, I would have.

Thursday, 22 November 2012

I am a tropical flower, blooming madly atop a stalk of pinstripes and animal shoes. My satiny petals stretch to the sky in vain in search of sunshine and nourishment.

New Fashion Rules:

All political leaders must wear neon colours (and paisley) to important summit meetings to set the right tone for peace and conciliation.

Male political leaders must wear mod side-zip ankle boots, in white or black, and bell bottoms.

Female leaders must wear go-go boots and maxi dresses.

This is the new law.

Smiles bloomed all around me as I sashayed down my route, my corolla bobbing in herbaceous splendour. Black and white turned to technicolour in a fleeting trail of sparklets that twinkled in the gloom and wet of another rainy day.

Also, I hope you all get out there, elbows cocked, wallets bulging, to gorge on Black Friday, which in North America (yes, Canada too) has become the official kick-off day for Holiday Shopping Season!!!! I dislike this day and what it stands for with intensity. Holt Renfrew, a high-end fashion retailer which I frequent for sensory inspiration, had a sign out today, "Thursday is the New Black Friday" - I just found out that there IS such a thing as Black Friday and already it's extended to Thursday. I wonder how long it will take to morph into Black Week, Black Month...

Rain seems to be the weather du jour everywhere right now. I hope you are all finding ways to cope. Maybe shopping will help. After all that venting, who knows? Maybe I'll hit a few thrift stores... I'll use my flower power to knock those shopping suckers outta my way. Okay, so I'm a Venus Fly Trap, not a benign tropical bloom after all...

AND

Bella at Citizen Rosebud has drawn up a pledge which affirms one's intent to shop second-hand first. I'm glad she said "first" because I do still have a weakness for retail from time to time. I have already been living according to this credo, but now I have a beautiful new colourful widget for my sidebar.

Monday, 19 November 2012

I was a slug until I put this on. Colour. How else could I possibly face the day? How else could I channel the magnificence flowing through the cosmos? This is my Rain Defiance outfit.

You've probably seen all these outfit pieces before in other mixes... But today I'm wearing my glasses for a little retro smackage. And when I wear them outside, I almost ALWAYS wear the matching magnetic clip-on shades (even at night), which are of course ultra-cool in their geek factor.

And below, I am checking the tastiness of the air... not so sweet. This photo was taken at about 1:30 p.m. just to give you an idea of how dark the days get here at this time of year when it's raining.

I am linking this up with Patti's fabulous Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style. I'll see you all there in fits and starts this week. Let's raise a glass to Patti too, who is in the middle of a big move. Cheers, Patti!! Have a great week everyone, rain or shine.

PS. I wanted to wear a maxi today but rain is not a good friend to it hemline. I must wait for sunshine.

Thursday, 15 November 2012

I have mustard - I relish this colour! So I'm playing a little catsup with the Fashion Challenge: Fall Colour Trends hosted by Megan Mae and Keely. Bandmate/crazy-gal Sandra and I were hot-dogging on a rooftop where we caught this shot. I'm glad my buns are not showing! I don't think what I'm wearing is on trend but I do have these mustard tights. Everyone looks spe-ta-coo-lar (word of the day) in their autumn colours!

Here I am luxuriating in the vestibule of my closet

The items:

mohair pullover, thrifted

maxi dress, thrifted

mustard tights, sample sale

D&G animal print shoes, thrifted

necklaces, assorted

wool indigo beret, thrifted

fingerless gloves, upcycled from Canadian Tire automotive store

quilted cotton biker jacket, sample sale

On her blog Lens is More Sandra posted a little video, which also includes clips of both of us suffering from a lack of dignity during this art outing.Isn't my closet vestibule spe-ta-coo-lar?!Hope y'all can wring a few more marvellous moments from what remains of the week....

Wednesday, 14 November 2012

My friends: The Freakish Yellow Skirt is coming home soon!! She's tired but very, very happy. Thanks, everyone, for following its travels and even wearing the freakish thing. And thank you, Shelley, for coordinating the flight plan. You are an amazing friend and your help has been INVALUABLE. There will be a few more posts, so stay tuned...Yes - my yellow skirt is flying around the world and it wants YOU to style her as part of a I-surrender-to-positivity celebration. The globe-trekking was Sarah's idea (from Misfits Vintage) and I think it's too much fun. Plus it's much easier than mailing a gnome - or myself considering how gnomish I look below.

H O W I T W O R K S [CLOSED]

Request the skirt by email to the current skirt-holder, who will announce its next stop. (Ed. Note: Due to its popularity, there is now a sign-up sheet for the Freakish Yellow Skirt so its travels can be somewhat coordinated. Send an email to Shelley of Forest City Fashionista - slong88 at hot mail dots com - with your postal address to hop on board. Everybody who wants a turn will get one.)

If you like, alter the skirt with paint, sewing, markers or other means. Please try not to shorten the skirt much because the length is part of its charm, and please maintain the skirt's flexible sizing. (Ed. Note: Please try to send the skirt on its travels again within two weeks, give or take. She is a rambling woman and gets nonmotion sickness being in one place for long.)

Post a photo of yourself in or with the skirt as real wear or inspirational wear and I shall post a photo here too as part of a Global Compilation (GC).

If you are REALLY inspired, post a short video clip of you twirling or dancing in the skirt so "Just Bad Enough," my art project band with Sandra, can include it in a "music video" GC.

Announce who the next skirt-holder will be on your blog. If you do not receive any requests, it will be time for the skirt to fly home to me. Ed. Note: Shelley will let you know who to send the skirt to next.

You can put the logo below (or in my sidebar) in your blog if you'd like.
(the woman is modelled after Sarah)

Monday, 12 November 2012

Today I wore one of my favourite odd dresses, a heavy wool garment with little gold studlettes, graduated in size, on the sleeves and front pocket, and a flared skirt. The dress was three or four sizes too big when I thrifted it, so in standard slacker fashion I simply sewed up the side seams to fit and lowered the shoulder seams at the top. Although this is a frequent go-to item for evening music recitals, I also enjoy it for daytime wear as well. There is a mysterious air about this garment which brings to mind the classic holiday-season movie Bell, Book and Candle in which Kim Novak, a witch, falls for a mortal, James Stewart.

Walking down the sidewalk I felt so deliciously witchy in the rain shadows that I was sure that if I turned around quickly, boo!, I would catch a dozen black cats (named Pyewacket) frozen in stride, amber eyes blazing. I always liked Kim Novak far better as a witch than as a mortal. I wonder if the street lights flared and burned out in a trail behind me.

Details of this ensemble:

vintage dress, thrifted

black tights, retail

medium-heeled shoes (aka frump shoes), retail

magic loupe, O made it for me

magic pendant, O made it for me

fingerless gloves, upcycled from Canadian Tire automotive store

beret, thrifted

seafoam cotton skirt underneath as a petticoat, thrifted

Below is a closeup of the dress fabric with the studs, and this is the tool-box bag I carried today, which came with a tool O ordered. Isn't it divine? I shall customize it at some point but I was content with the plain exterior today.

Happy Visible Monday! This week I'm able to make it over to Patti's place at Not Dead Yet Style. I missed you all last week... Time to catch up. Do your clothes put you in a mood or does your mood put you in your clothes?

Also, regarding my last post for Vogoff magazine, I greatly dislike ageism, and yet I defined this faux magazine's audience as women +40. Big mistake! I know so many wonderful bloggers who are under 40 and the world would not be complete without you. So if any of you want to contribute to Vogoff, I heartily welcome your suggestions.

PS

AND - I am very excited and flattered to be featured in an interview (here) posted by

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Dahlings,
I know the universe hangs on my every blurt so I have decided to immortalize myself as Editor in Chief of this magazine, the highly prestigious, internationally-acclaimed, Pewlister Prize-winning VOGOFF (pronounced voggoff or vhog-off). Please reserve your applause until the end. (Come now, get ahold of yourselves. Have a little dignity and humility - like me.)

Of course I, Miz Bagg, am the queen of everything about beauty, fashion, makeup, grace, real good manners, and such-like, and I am an incredibly word-ly person, as you no doubt observed in my writing in my How-to Guide to Posing, Part 1 on 8-track cassette. (Thanks for your support. Of course you bought it.) So my beauty is not only gobsmacking - my intelligence and that stuff are also big gob-droppings of smartness.

This first issue features only photos of moi, Miz Bagg, of course, but I may allow the little people to contribute later on when I'm busy doing something way better. In this issue I am pleased to unveil to you the hottest thing since Yanni - the mashed potato fashion accessory specially designed by iqi (pronounced icky). Unless you've been living in Uranus, you'll know that kitchen tools are hot.

And who can help dancing uncontrollably when opening a container of yogurt or spraying air freshener or whipping out a duster or mopping the floor? Well, lucky you's - inside this issue are a few new dance steps you can try when cleaning and eating. They are perfect for tightening up those pesky fleshy pads on your hand between your thumb and index finger.

Plus, as a special feature: "Are we addicted to our uprights?" With a quiz! I too am not immune to the sight of a hard upright vacuum, all beastie thrumming with unkempt hair inside, which is only natural for a feminine creature such as mine self, but here I share with you not only my secrets for hiding these naughty little liaisons from your partner, but also ancient mystical monk moves for upping your upright's suction power by 73.5 percent. Therapists are on standby in case you fail the stupid quiz. You loser.

Miz Bagg caught in an unguarded moment following the upright shoot. Photo courtesy of Takenzeepiss 2012

Okay, I'm off now to consult with all those high-power smiling advertising people in New York to teach them a hot dance for their new and exciting anti-fungal soap. They keep begging and begging me to be in their global network ad campaigns (it's rather embarrassing) and I keep telling them to feck off, I'm far more valuable in my role as guru and goddess. Then I'm off to consult on ballerina costumes for some female products.

I know it's a an exciting life, but I, Miz Bagg, am the only one to lead it, as I shall and can. Tra-la-tra-la. Ooh, my upright needs attention.

(The Real Writer's Notes)
In the next issue, probably December: The Implications of Hot Flashes. Are peri/menopausal women with hot flashes responsible for global warming or is it bovine flatulence? What would happen if power companies could wire hot flashes into the Smart Grid. Would we have to call it the Smarter Grid?

___________________________________________________________________

The Real Real Writer's Notes

I watched part of the recent silent movie, The Artist, a few nights ago and another movie from 1932 last night in which the lead platinum blond delivered this great line: "I'm as exciting as an ironing board." On top of that, I had a little correspondence with Curtise from The Secondhand Years about kitchen utensils... So Miz Bagg was sequestered in a photo shoot last night not knowing what would result.

I'm so happy this "magazine" popped out. I had been mulling the idea for quite a while and suddenly there it was - my perfect inaugural cover. If any of you want to contribute a little piece to a future issue, maybe next month, let me know, ultra-Vogue on drugs with cool photos.